“Hate you.”
“Love you, too.”
I go to end the call, but just as I’m about to push the large red button, my Mom’s face pops up on the screen. I frown, but click the button to end the call with Skyler and answer hers.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Clinton Pennington, why haven’t you answered my phone calls? I’ve called at least ten times since you left last Saturday!”
I groan inwardly at the use of my full name. No one at Palm South has called me Clinton since my freshman year. I gained the nickname Bear after flag football season due to my tall, fit build and aggressive technique – in other words, I tackled people a lot. Skyler always says I’m more like a teddy bear, but that’s really only with her. I don’t show my soft side to many people.
“Because I’m busy. Why? You all out of drug money? Need me to break into my savings and send you more?”
“Don’t get smart with me, young man. I’ll drive down there and slap your black ass so hard my grandkids will feel it.”
I sigh. “What do you want, Mom?”
“I wanted to check in and see how my son was doing, but apparently there’s a crime against that in your book.”
“I’m fine. Class starts next week. How are you?” I say the words flatly, not hiding the lack of respect I have for her. I know I shouldn’t talk to her the way that I do – or at least, if she were a normal mother, I shouldn’t – but she never earned the respect she demanded from me. And I’m finally getting to the point where I’m tired of giving it for no reason. I love the woman, I do – but I have no respect for someone who uses and abuses everyone in their life the way she does.
“Well that’s good, sweetie,” she says, her voice softening. “I miss you. Wish you would have just stayed up here for school.” She pauses, waiting for me to say something but I don’t. “Anyway, your brother is bringing the kids out this weekend. I’m sure he’ll want to call and talk to you.”
“Can’t wait.”
She huffs, but doesn’t press me on it. My older brother and I are far from close and she knows it. The only person in that whole family who I genuinely care about is Clayton, my baby brother. He’s only twelve, but already he’s being exposed to the things I had to fight to get away from in Pittsburgh. He’s the only reason I even visit during breaks. I’m the only positive role model he has, and I have every intention of reminding him what he can accomplish if he gets out of that house.
“Well I guess I’ll talk to you then. Have a good night, Clinton.”
“You too.”
I end the call and toss my phone to the other end of the bed, letting out a long exhale. I don’t have the chance to think about my fucked up family long before I hear my brothers yelling for me from the living room. I smile, leaving my phone and heading back toward the group.
I fall down in a large bean bag as my Little, Josh, hands me a cold Bud Light. I pop the top and throw it back, letting the sting of the ice cold liquid burn away the phone call with my mom. Looking around, I can’t help but feel excited about the new school year. I’m a junior now and our fraternity is the top on campus. We’re going to have a fucking blast this semester and I’m anxious to get started.
Thank God I have my fraternity brothers.
Real families are a disappointment.
I KNOW SIOMARA will have my ass if she finds out I snuck out to go to a bar tonight, but I’ll take my chances. I’m going stir crazy being stuck in that house with all forty-one of my sisters. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but damn – a girl needs a break.
And a penis.
Just saying.
I’m all about sisterhood and I truly do care about the new girls coming into our organization this year, but tomorrow is a late day – we don’t have to be at the sorority house until eleven – so tonight, I’m getting drunk.
And hopefully laid.
I pull into a small beach bar and check my makeup once more before strolling inside. It’s casual, not too many people, but it’s a slightly older crowd which is exactly what I want. Fraternity boys are immature and stupid and I’m over their shit. I’ve spent the last two years wrapped up in their drama and I know that other than fulfilling my desire to not want to masturbate, they’re not good for much. This bar is crawling with men in their mid to upper twenties – dress shirts, ties hanging loose around their necks – they’re looking for a good time and I’m about to deliver them one on a silver platter.
My phone pings with another warning text from my Big Sister, Stacy. I sigh and type out a quick don’t worry, Mom text to her before tucking my phone away again. Stacy and I are really close, but she graduated early last spring. Even though she continues to Mom me even after she graduated, she’s still a bad ass mentor and one of the closest friends I have. I just wish I could say the same about my Little.
But that’s a worry for another time.
Sauntering up to the bar, I take a seat on a bar stool facing the majority of the bar and scope out the possibilities. The bar is half inside, half outside and the breeze rolling in from the beach blows my long blonde hair out of my face, allowing me full view of the prospects. Just as I’m zeroing in on a group of guys at the pool table, the bartender strolls up to me and throws a small white towel over his shoulder, placing both hands on the bar in front of me before leaning over a bit. “What’s your poison tonight, princess?”
I wrinkle my nose and pull my attention from the pool table to stare up at the man the voice came from. Instantly, the wrinkles leave and I swallow. Holy hell, this guy is hot. And he’s bald? I have never in my life found a man without hair even slightly attractive. I guess there’s a first time for everything, right? My eyes fall slowly down his body, lingering on the muscles in his chest stretching against the dark red fabric of his work t-shirt. His tan skin is covered in tattoos, though I can’t quite make them out in the dim lighting of the bar. My lips part slightly as my eyes drift back up to his face. He cocks a brow in amusement and I swallow again, sitting up straighter.
“Really? What’s your poison? Could you be any more cliché?”
His other brow shoots up to join the first and his head cocks back, as if my words smacked him across that beautiful, chiseled jaw of his. “Wow. My bad. Is what can I get you any better?”
“Same thing, pretty much. But, regardless of how predictably you ask me, I’m still going to want the tallest glass you have filled to the top with a fruity rum and juice. You figure out the rest. Just make it strong.”
He smirks, pushing off the bar and reaching down for a large glass. “Well okay then. You on vacation?”
“I wish. But, I can still drink like I’m on vacation, right?” I give him a wink and he smiles, shaking his head a bit.
“I’m Jarrett.” He slides me my drink and I tilt it to him in a cheers before taking the first sip. It’s strong. And delicious.
Score.
“Jess. And this is scrumptious.”
He chuckles. “Glad I could brew up your poison, princess.” I glare at him, but he just winks and walks to the other end of the bar.
After I finish my first drink and order another, I wander up to the group of guys at the pool table. We play for a little over an hour, drawing an even larger crowd because – clearly – we’re the most fun this joint has seen in a while. I’m cozied up and working on one of the hottest guys in the group when he informs me he has a fiancé.
Wow.
Buzz Killington, ladies and gentlemen.
I hang out with the group a little longer, hoping to move on to a new prospect, but they all head out before I have a chance to seal the deal with any of Mr. I’m-Engaged-But-You-Don’t-Need-To-Know-That-Until-It’s-Clear-You-Expect-To-Sleep-With-Me’s friends. Sighing, I take my place in the same barstool as before and Jarrett slides a fifth drink my way.
I hold up my hands. “I should probably say no this time. It’s almost closing time and I need to drive.”
“Not necessarily,” he offers. I eye him curiousl
y and the corner of his mouth pulls up mischievously. He finishes wiping down a glass and hangs it above his head before leaning across the bar, his minty breath tickling my drunken senses. “You’ve been trying all night to get with that douchebag when I could have told you from the beginning that he wasn’t available. And now, you’re left with an ache between your legs that you don’t want to take care of on your own. So yes, you could drive home, get up and go to work tomorrow and just try again another night. Or,” he pauses, licking his bottom lip and dragging his teeth across the top as his eyes fall to my mouth. “You could give me your keys, jump in my truck, and let me take you back to my place so I can cure you of your current situation.”
Oh hell to the fucking yes.
Keeping my eyes locked on his, I fish my keys from my purse and drop them on the counter, cocking a brow. Jarrett bites his lip as he grabs the keys and shoves them in his pocket.
“Give me five.”
Four and a half minutes later, we’re tangled up in the back seat of his truck. I run my hands down his incredibly cut abdomen and lift his shirt up and over his head as he pulls the straps of my dress down over my shoulders. His lips are hard on mine and his hands run the length of my body until they grip my hips so hard I’m not sure if I should cry out in pain or pleasure.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go back to my place?” he pants, kissing down my neck. My eyes roll back and a moan escapes my lips.
“I think I’d rather see how all that talk holds up in the back of a truck.”
Jarrett growls against my neck before biting down and lifting me from his lap. It’s then I realize he’s wearing dark gray board shorts. He quickly unties them and pulls them to his knees, followed by his boxers. And there he is in all his thick, perfect glory. I bite my lip and stare up into his dark eyes. They’re hooded with desire and I feel the want spread through my entire body as he grips my hips again and lifts me up from the seat, rotating me to face away from him. His rough hands slide my dress up and over my thighs and ass, exposing me to the heat radiating from his body behind mine. There’s a rip of a condom wrapper and seconds later, Jarrett leans flush against me and grips my hair in one hand, pulling my head back so he can whisper in my ear.
“Is this what you want, Jess?” He thrusts against me and I feel his hard cock against the curve of my ass. I inhale deep, need coursing through every vein.
“Yes,” I breathe, biting my lip in ecstasy.
“Then take it,” he hisses into my ear, running his tongue up my neck before sucking my lobe in his mouth. The feel of him against me combined with his breath hot in my ear evokes a loud moan from my throat. “Take my cock inside you.”
He pulls my hair harder and I groan, maneuvering my body until I feel him at my entrance. Slowly, I push back against him and feel as every inch of him sinks deep inside me. I don’t even try to be quiet anymore. Loud moans and screams rip through me as he moves his other hand up to grip my hair, too, pulling it back each time he pounds into me. He fills me over and over, our hot breath steaming up the windows in his Ford truck.
I push my hand against the back passenger window and it slips down, leaving my fingerprints marked on the glass. “Harder,” I moan and Jarrett delivers, hammering into me with more force before smacking my ass. It stings, but I can’t deny that I love it. I’ve never been spanked before, but now I’m tempted to beg for it again.
“Oh,” I cry out and he runs his hands back up into my hair before trailing them down my back and over my ass. He holds me firmly in his grip before rearing back and smacking my skin again, this time with enough force to send me spiraling over the edge of desire. I climax hard, maybe harder than I ever have before and Jarrett quickens his pace before driving into me with slow, hard precision. I ride out my orgasm like a California wave, completely spent by the time it crashes on the shore.
But Jarrett isn’t done.
Quickly, he flips me over to straddle him. My legs are Jell-O, I have no idea how I’m going to ride him after what he just did to me, but he pulls my legs up to prop my feet on the seat and then leans my back against the console, lifting his hips to meet mine. In this position he feels even bigger than before and he hits places I never even knew existed.
Jarrett slowly drags the palm of his hand through my hair and then over my face, the pad of his thumb catching my bottom lip before he trails it down my neck, my chest, my abdomen, and rests it between my hips. His thumb finds my clit and he begins a torturous circle against the already tender spot. I arch my back in response and he groans, plowing into me with the same rhythm.
“You didn’t wait for me last time. That’s fine. But you’re going to come again. With me, this time.” I moan as he pumps harder, his breath growing shallow. Just as his body starts to shake inside mine, I reach another climax and tremble with him, our bodies moving together in a sweet and passionate harmony as we cry out into the foggy air of the truck. Every touch is amplified and I feel every last thrust. When we finally slow to a stop, Jarrett remains inside me, the sweat from our efforts making our bodies stick together in every place our skin touches. I’m not complaining.
He pulls me forward slowly, my back aching from being pushed back against the console. Licking his lips, he brings my mouth to his and kisses me hard, branding me with a passion I’ve never experienced. And I don’t care what time it is or how much sleep I lost by sneaking out to this hole in the wall beach bar tonight. I’d do it all again. This is the best sex I’ve had in a long, long time.
And I can’t wait for round two.
I’M DRUNK. And it’s hot as balls in South Florida. Therefore, I’m also sweating. But I don’t give a shit because I’m drunk.
Almost all my brothers are back on campus now. It’s the night before sorority Bid Day and we know we’ll be raging all day and night tomorrow, but that didn’t stop us from getting a head start tonight. My Little, Josh, is currently doing a keg stand that I know will land him on his ass but I can’t help but hoot in encouragement.
“You better not let me down, Little Bro! I’ll kick your ass!” I smack him hard on the back and he sputters a bit, but keeps going. Josh is kind of a douche. Okay, he’s a really, really big douche. But I’m doing my best to mentor him into being a half-decent guy. I’ll never understand his obsession with fake tanning, but no one can keep up with me in the gym like he can and I respect him for that. I wanted him to be my Little from the start of his rushing process last spring. A Little is someone you can bond with, but more importantly someone you can guide. Although, I’m not sure I’m much of a mentor.
Suddenly, I’m picked up on a few of my brothers’ shoulders and carried to the other keg. I grab it with my hands just in time to avoid smacking my chin against the metal and my legs are lifted up into the air. Then the nozzle is in my mouth and I have a two second warning before the beer starts flowing.
Challenge accepted.
After forty-seven seconds counted out loud, I kick my feet a little and they drop me to the floor with a roar of approval. I almost spit out the last swig of beer when the room settles and I’m face to face with Skyler.
“Not bad, Bear.” She grins. “Although I’m pretty sure you’ve done better.”
I shake my head. “How the hell are you here right now? Tomorrow’s Bid Day.”
“What Siomara doesn’t know won’t hurt her. I figured I could trust you and your brothers to keep it quiet.”
I frown, unsure if I trust them as much as she does. I scan the room for our president and drag Skyler with me when I finally find him. After whispering the situation in his ear, Matt whistles loud enough to quiet the entire house.
“Listen up!” he shouts above the music. “See this girl right here?” He gestures to Skyler and her face flushes a bit, but she stands straighter and gives a wink. Always so sassy, that one. “No, you don’t. You don’t see her at all. She isn’t here. She never was. Got it?” There’s a cheer of understanding and Matt nods once. “Carry on.”
He
smiles back at us and throws his arms around Skyler’s shoulder. “There. Problem solved. If anyone finds out you were here, let me know and I’ll haze the shit out of these fuckers. I don’t care if they are brothers.”
Skyler giggles a little. “Why thank you. And what do I have to do to pay off that favor?” She quirks a brow and tilts her head a little.
A sly grin creeps over Matt’s face. “I can probably think of a few things.”
“Alright,” I throw my hands up and back away from them. “I’m leaving the two of you to settle your debts. Find me when you’re ready for shots, Sky.”
She gives me a wink and Matt’s eyes scan the length of her toned body in the tiny shorts she’s paired with a loose t-shirt. I know without a doubt that she dressed herself tonight. Usually, her sisters were dressing her up – sororitizing her or whatever. She’s far from a dress and pearls type of girl. But tonight, in her natural form, I think she’s prettier than she ever is when they doll her up in all that makeup and shit.
I get asked all the time if I’m into Skyler. Some of my brothers have steered clear of her even after I assure them we’re just friends. For a while, I wondered if maybe there was something between us that we just weren’t seeing – something we were giving off that made other people look at us the way they did. But, at the end of the day, Skyler is more like the baby sister I never had than anything else. I just care about her. And, surprisingly, she cares about me.
Plus, that girl can play some poker. And that is something I’ll always respect.
“I’m sloshed.” Josh grins and lifts the red plastic cup in his hand to his mouth once more. “What’s up with Skyler being here?”
“She snuck out. Keep your mouth shut about it, Little. I mean it.”
“I’m not saying anything,” he says, his hands up in mock surrender. “She single?”
I nod toward her and Matt, who are now cozied up on the back couch, her legs in his lap and his fingers playing in her hair as they talk over their drinks. “Technically, yes. Not sure if that’s going to matter much tonight, though. Matt moved in right after his little announcement.”
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